Les Misérables (In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall)[825646943920]

The musical that swept the world! 10th Anniversary Concert featuring the dream cast and a company of over 250 performers with many of the most celebrated stars to have appeared in the show worldwide.

'I Dreamed A Dream' – sung here by Ruthie Henshall – was the focus of intense media interest in 2009 following Susan Boyle's performance on Simon Cowell's UK TV talent show 'Britain's Got Talent' (see below), which gave this song a new lease of life in the singles and album charts.

Susan Boyle (born 1961)[1] is a Scottish[2] amateur singer and church volunteer who came to public attention on 11 April 2009,[3] when she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Britain's Got Talent.[4] Boyle found fame when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the competition's first round.[5]

Before she sang, both the audience and the judges appeared to express scepticism based on her unpolished appearance. In contrast, her vocal performance was so well received that she has been dubbed "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell."[6] She received a standing ovation from the live audience, garnering yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden, and the "biggest yes I have ever given anybody" from Piers Morgan.[7] The audition was recorded in January 2009 at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland,[8] and was first broadcast on Saturday, 11 April 2009 in Britain.

The juxtaposition of the reception to her voice with the audience's first impression of her triggered global interest. Articles about her appeared in newspapers all over the world, while the numbers who watched videos of her audition set an online record.[9] By 20 April 2009, a mere 9 days after her televised debut, viral videos of her audition, subsequent interviews of her, and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" had been viewed over 100 million times on the Internet.[10] The clip is expected to pass the record for an online video of 120 million views in a matter of days.[11] Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his Syco Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.[12]

Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the Les Misérables musical, also praised the performance, stating: "Just like the judges and audience, I was gob-smacked by the emotional powerhouse performance of Susan Boyle's show-stopping rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream". Vocally, it is one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard - touching, thrilling and uplifting. I do hope she gets to sing it for the Queen."[13]

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Disc 1 1. Prologue 2. On Parole/The Bishop 3. Valjean's Soliloquy 4. At The End Of The Day 5. I Dreamed A Dream 6. Lovely Ladies 7. Fantine's Arrest 8. The Runaway Cart 9. Who Am I? - The Trial 10. Fantine's Death 11. The Confrontation 12. Castle On A Cloud 13. Master Of The House 14. The Bargain - Waltz Of Treachery 15. Look Down 16. Stars 17. ABC Café/Red And Black 18. Do You Hear The People Sing? 19. Rue Plumet - In My Life 20. A Heart Full Of Love >Disc 2 1. The Attack On Rue Plumet 2. One Day More! 3. Building The Barricade/On My Own 4. Back At the Barricade 5. Javert's Arrival/Little People 6. A Little Fall Of Rain 7. Night Of Anguish 8. First Attack 9. Drink With Me 10. Bring Him Home 11. Second Attack/The Final Battle 12. The Sewers 13. Dog Eats Dog 14. Javert's Suicide 15. Turning 16. Empty Chairs At Empty Tables 17. Every Day/A Heart Full Of Love (reprise) 18. The Wedding Chorale/Beggars At The Feast 19. Epilogue (Finale) 20. Encore 1 - Speeches/Do You Hear The People Sing? 21. Encore 2 - One Day More